Bangkok air pollution so bad, motorists asked to use public transportation after smog thickens

Since the beginning of 2019, Bangkok air pollution has been so bad the Thai Pollution Control Department is now asking motorists to use public transportation instead of driving to work, to shop or for any of the hundred other reasons they use a car.

The appeal from the Thai Pollution Control Department was released yesterday, January 7th, 2019, after levels of dust and other pollutants in the air hit record levels.

At current levels, the department says they ‘pose significant health hazards’ that could be largely avoided if more people in Bangkok used public transportation.

With smog in many areas of the city so bad, Bangkokians are also being asked to refrain from any outdoor burning. The pollution department has also recommended those driving cars with exhaust pipes that are not up to legal standards to not drive until pollution levels improve.

Things like spraying water into the air in an attempt to lessen the dust particles, and having the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) institute increased road cleaning in some of the worst affected areas.

The problem with Bangkok pollution, however, is that it has been an enormous ongoing problem for decades. And one that very little has been done by successive governments to address it.

Much of it has been caused by Thailand’s rapid development, and by the increased traffic and industrial activity that development brought. The problem was often prevented from being dealt with by powerful interest groups.

The current Thai military junta government also seems to have little concern about environmental issues.

Something you have to wonder about as Bangkok’s air pollution, and other environmental issues around Thailand, negatively affect everyone in the country. Including members of the junta government, their families and their children.